Who Are You and Other Amnesiacs's Questions
by TributewholovesBLUECOKE
Summary: "Have you ever wanted to whitewash your life? To be free of your past? Live on as some different person, someone you could start out new as? Let me tell you it's not worth schist." Follows our heroine in the events of Mark of Athena. Takes place after Little Bit of Me Left (this has better grammar, less confusion, and with romance!), all previous events explained in first chapter.
1. Chaos: Welcome Newbies

**A/N: I wanted to make it so new people can read the second without having to read the first. As always, review, favorites, and follows are lovely and very welcome. This one will be better, grammar wise, and writing wise. Not as much confusion. The first chapter is a little short cause I don't wanna cram it and as you know... I love cliffhangers. Disclaimer: Another thing you know: I don't own this. Yours in demigodness and all that. Peace out!**

Have you ever wanted to whitewash your life? To be free of your past? Live on as some different person, someone you could start out new as? Let me tell you it's not worth schist.

The names Valeria Arellano, and I'm not who everyone thinks I am.

Born Ginger Jaques in the 40's to Pluto and a possessed witch of a mother, I died trying to stop what I started.

Years later, **Valeria** was born, daughter of Bellona, twin to Reyna and sister of Hylla.

But when the Pirates came on Circe, not everyone made it off the island. I was never the same after that... Working for Gaea, and faking my death, I made the same mistake as Ginger. But when Gaea combined the souls between Ginger, and Val, it caused a fall. Destroying her eldest son during his unknown rising as the Titans started the second war of Olympus, but it also killed me.

Look ahead a few years later, Nico Di Angelo followed the advice of his dead sister Bianca, and resurrected his half sibling Ginger, who was also Valeria, with empousai blood. Able to use Ginger's appearance to go under Reyna's radar, I got into camp. Months later, she's dating the son of Jupiter, who goes missing with mysterious circumstances and is presumed dead. Well... At least it was presumed until the son of Poseidon, a Greek, shows up.

Heading to Alaska to kill the same foe, that son of Poseidon, myself, and the shape shifting son of Mars Frank, all manage to push back a Mother Earth doom day.

Back at camp, following a battle and the promotion of Percy Jackson, the son of the sea god, the hour was late.

I shifted in my bunk, the snores of the centurion Zhang echoed in the walls of the cohort's living hall.

I hadn't know what to tell him about Jason when he came up to me and asked, but that wasn't what was bothering me.

I was used to nightmares, memories and flashes of things I didn't want to see, not really the normal demigod dream. But I'd gotten one of those vivid ones half bloods occasionally got.

It was until I heard a familiar roll of thunder in the distance, that I decided to get out of the bed. Staying in my pajamas of this V neck Vegas Lights tee shirt and blue and black plaid silk pants I walked across barefoot under the moon.

Glistening white marble, the Temple of Jupiter looked lit up as I entered it.

Across the way, in front of the silver and gold statue, a boy with blond hair was bending over.

Getting closer, the hair became whiter in the light.

"Octavian." I said cooly, like someone might do if they passed their respected rival in the streets.

He stood up. "I suppose I have to call you Arellano now." He turned around.

"You knew I was coming. You've been spying again." I noticed the pile of mauled stuffed animals.

"I was under Reyna's orders." He said, in a way one might throw meat at a wolf.

"If you expect me to get furious because my sister wants a background check than maybe you need more sleep augur." I may have up been giving him the 'I'm Queen, peasant' look I'd learned from my sister. It really worked now that I could look like Reyna, well technically it was like Val.

"If you have anything to hide I will find it. Now excuse me is there a reason you are here so late?" He said drily.

"Yes." I sat criss cross on his table, and tossed him a build a bear. The thing had come along with another one I'd gotten. It didn't even speak. "I need you to look into something."

He caught it, "I'm your guy." He said with a sneer that would send chills down your spin.


	2. He's Alive!

**A/N: Review, favorites and follows will be rewarded with blue cookies! BTW My throat BURNS. As you can see I tried to make up for a short first chapter with a long second one. Disclaimer: I don't actually own anything.**

"Alrighty, up up up! We got a busy day today! Everyone wake up!" I heard the daily chant of Dakota boom through walls.

I turned around, with a long pathetic groan, grabbing my blanket closer.

"Even you Arellano, no one cares you're the praetor's sister." a boy said, causing a ruckus of laughter.

"And no one cares about what you say Micael." I complained, rolling around and getting up. Our cohort mates went 'OHHHHH' "Man you just got burned'.

"See? She doesn't give a-"

"Mike..." Our centurion warned.

"I don't get why you couldn't just keep Valeria to yourself, girl. I used to like you Ginger." he brooded over to my bottom bunk.

I shoot up like a cannon, "If anyone hear has issues with me. Say it. Don't go complaining to Reyna. You have no idea what I've been through. If you didn't like Ginger, you don't like me, and if you don't like Val, and you don't like ME, you don't like Ginger. You can't do this either or thing, and you all are just gonna have to learn to deal with that. And if you don't trust me... You're not trusting your praetor, which I don't need to tell you how disrespectful that is. So go ahead." No one said anything, so I nodded and looked around. "Good. Go on treating me like you did, soldiers." I walked away to my cabinet.

In the girl's bathroom, I twirled the lock combo in, opening it, then taking out the uniform clothes. I striped down behind shower curtains.

"I don't think he realized what he was saying." a familiar voice joined in from the stall next to mine.

"Gweny, you don't need to pity me." I promised her, sitting on a bench.

"I'm your friend, it's my job." Gwendoline said through the bricks.

"Yeah well. You sound like a mom." I complained, I twisted the water on, rolling my neck. Soon enough I heard singing, I rolled my eyes at one point, thinking 'And we're back to our regularly scheduled programs. Gods.'

Now I think back and say: That break didn't last long, did it?

I was inside at Gladiator training, and I was sparring with a dummy, zero armor on, sweaty, holding my spatha, when Terminus's assistant came running in.

It was lunch, and I was the only one not in the city. I may have been avoiding the crowd. The sight of her ponytails bouncing coming towards me, made me panic. Was I being exiled?

"Boy! Ginger! Impersonation! Warship!" she panted, her hands on her knees. I had no idea what she was talking about, which was normal for frightened messengers.

"Hey hey hey, catch your breath. What's going on?" I ran over to her.

"Reyna... She... she told me to find you. Urgent. She said they're here." she took deep gasps of breathes.

"Julia, WHOSE here?" I bent down.

" _ **The Greeks**_." she gave me a look of absolute.

One shipment of forgetful boyfriend coming your way.

Man can children sprint. (I know, it makes me sound OLD.)

The little legacy had no trouble, and no lack of energy, as she bolted off at my side.

I had a minimum of a second to notice the army rolling in, and then regain my footing to stop from falling.

I filled in, and squeezed past the crowd, till I finally pushed my way to the front. Ignoring the vast shadow on the ground.

"Morning sister." Reyna nodded a head towards me, Frank and Percy already with her.

"What's going on?" I asked to no one in particular.

"The calvary... I mean the others of the Seven, the ones from my camp ... have arrived." Percy motioned his head towards the deck, where a tall, built demigod was making himself a target.

I closed my eyes for a second to cool myself.

No need to explode the situation. The boyfriend you'd lost a bit more than 8 month ago was coming back, and you were going on a quest with him.

Uh huh, no reason to...

My breathes became heavier.

"You alright?" Frank looked over me and Percy, and we we're both a sickly shade of nervous pale.

"Totally." I choked.

"Let's walk over and greet our companions." He patted me on the back.

I hung in the back, watching the incomers climb down to join us, a girl came down first.

Brown short choppy hair, unnerving changing eyes, and the same camp shirt Percy had on when he came.

I watched her with curiosity, but disinterest and impatiences.

HE was second, with his professional stiffness he came down. That's when the hair playing and tapping began.

Finally he landed, I looked over his toga and jeans, and the shirt he was wearing that'd matched the kind Percy worn when we'd found him at the tunnel.

His blue eyes enlarged when they fell on me.

The breathing got heavier.

There was an unbroken, tense moment.

That passed and shattered.

We walked towards each other, his hands out.

Tearless or not, I made it to him.

I stood there, right in front of him, and rested my head on his shoulder without a word, he threw his arms around me.

Glued closed, my eyelids wouldn't open... and nor would my mouth.

 _"I found you."_

"I would slap you right now Jason Grace, if we weren't being watched." I manage to fiercely deliver the message to him.

"I don't know who has more to say... You told Reyna the truth?"

"A lots been going on in your absences." I snarked.

"I can relate to that..." he seemed to bit his lip.

"We need to talk but now isn't the time." I spoke quickly, as the Percabeth exasperation died down behind us.

"It's good to see you." He leaned in and whispered, smiling.

"Uh uh, no flirting for you. I'm trying to be mad." I stuck my tongue out and teased. He nodded, backing up, holding his hands up in surrender.


	3. Irony and Other Obsessions

**A/N: I'm sick and I'm wearing my Camp Half Blood sweater. But I'm gonna watch Harry Potter so things could be worse. Hope you enjoy this! Review, favorite and follow! Disclaimer: I'm sorry, but I have not been able to find a way to purchase the rights. SO I don't own anything. *shrug* XD.**

As soon as it could be unnoticeable I dragged Jason's sorry little butt over into the nearest empty alley.

"You are going to talk, and then I'm going to reply. Okay? Okay. Your interrogation starts now." Enunciation in every syllable, my eyebrows a knitted glare, and a dead serious tone.

He laughed, "I missed you too. First off, I'm sorry I left you in the dark like that, I can't imagine…"

"I need you to give me a reason to accept your apology before you started speaking…" I breathed out heavily.

"Your choosing to go Roman. Okay, I get it. I had no right to decide to stay there, I left my camp, that was under MY protection. But there was complications… Hera, or Juno… Both I guess, were trapped in the Wolf House."

"No way. Not Lupa's sacred place. That'd be enough power for… Oh gods." I started to go from annoyed to minor near hyperventilating.

Gaea had scared me deeper than new lives, meaning no matter who I was, I was more terrified of her then others, for good reasons.

"I know. Porphyrion was a little hard to destroy." he looked down.

"We've had our own problems here." I huffed. "We need to tell Reyna about this." I realized.

"Of course. But Val I have some explaining to do." Jason took my hand.

"Uh oh, this can't be good." I panicked.

"You know I love you right?" he looked me in the eyes.

"Yes…"

His fingers slipped back out, and slowly he backed away "Keep that in mind." he held up his hand, went away. Second later he came back, but this time he came back with somebody.

It was the girl I'd not batted an eyelash at before, the one with dark color skin, and kaleidoscope eyes. The one I'd told myself to keep an eye on. Jason affirmatively, with smooth calmness, "Valeria, this is Piper McLean, she's kind of… My girlfriend."

I stood there, only managing to blink furious, and glared at the ground in thought. I bit my bottom lip tight, and cursed loudly in latin, which he definitely understood.

"Val! Tibi ego numquam nocui!" (He's saying he'd never hurt me, when he already has) He reached out for me. The Latin came out in rapidfire, just between us.

"Subsiste sermonem statim. Valete." I turn around.

"Val… Amābō tē!" ('Please', now he's begging...)

"PROHIBERE Grace," (I told him to stop) I shook my head back and forth, and turned around. "You're just lucky I don't have my weapon."

"You would never mean that, in all your life no matter what you would NEVER mean that." Jason pleaded.

I ignored him and melted back into the crowd, and I could feel the eyes watching me. Anything I do could jeopardize Reyna, and the quest.

Minutes later, "We shall welcome our Greek guests, and the return of our praetor, Jason!" I heard my twin say, as she held up his hand. The cheering erupted, and it all sounded dull.

I had to admire that even on my terms today had such a sting of bad luck.

The masses flowed from the courtyard to the dining hall, few people staying behind and heading in different directions.

"Is everything alright?" I turned around it was Frank. But I didn't want to talk with anyone.

I just closed my wet eyes tight, and left.

The temple provided a balance for me, between anger and sadness, where my emotions were a seesaw of the two.

In the shrine of Pluto, I could allow myself to not be found. I could sit there, where the wind would blow, and the silence could lay like a cover of snow.

Here I could think.

It was not as strange as it should have been, him coming home with a girl. But I liked to believe that some things would stay the same, and the honor of heroes could still be like in a fairytale.

At some, quickly brought, point in time I would have to come to terms with it.

Piper was his girl, and I was not. I was old news, and she was replacing me.

And I would need to come to terms with Jason, that he didn't mean to do what he did.

Looking ahead and I saw I would need to make a choice, between what I wanted, and what I knew was right.

This quest was not going to leave me alone, it was going to fight to take every last thing I had.

Gaea would try to destroy us each individually, so we would need to fight as one.

It would have to not matter what it was worth and what the cost would be.

My things were found and collected from the arena and my bed. Clothes, armor, my dagger and spatha all in one black dufflebag. I slipped through the barrier with the first of my good fortune. Terminus would be too concerned with bigger threats, mainly my ex and his cavalry. I joined the lunch group, sitting down at the fifth cohort table.

"I see you've finally joined us." I turned around, it was Octavian, who was looking like he was up to no good. Of course, he's always up to no good.

"If you're here to speak to me about something you've seen from your creepy teddy bears, leave it." I proceeded to stuff a taquito off my plate to in my face.

He raised an eyebrow, shrugged like 'Your loss'. "Just wanted to let you know, your sister isn't here, if you were looking." he said, and went to sit down at his table.

I rolled my eyes, and continued to eat. Nothing to be nervous about, I can wait.

Oh boy was I wrong.

You know, the world was trying to mess with me. And I'm not talking just about Gaea.

Because the explosions that happened next? Was the last straw.

 **A/N: Excuse my Latin. XD Update: My friend Ethempat kindly reminded me** **translation is probably important.**


	4. Surprisingly, Worst Wasn't The Haircut

**A/N: Hey... Sorry it took me so long to update! But here it is! I hope you like it!** **Review, favorite, follow!** **Please? Maybe? It means the world to me, really. Like. I can't even say. Imagine how it makes you feel when you do it, or like when you get an A+. So yeah! Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

"Alright, everyone outside, now! Move it move it!" I shouted, herding the other. Yelling Latin terms, and making my way.

And there it was, looming above the city, a giant warship.

And the tremaine was setting fire to our buildings.

"Who else is in there...'' I muttered, then cursed under my breath as I notice my next predicament.

Jason and Piper were cornered by some vengeful rogue Romans near a fountain.

"HEY BOLTY!" I called out, his blue eyes fell on me, I could see him sigh. "EVERYBODY MOVE IT!" And they went silent. No one messes with a girl and her boyfriend, and they were standing down. Besides, I looked too much like Reyna.

I ran through the crowd, so compressed it was difficult to breathe . And then someone shouted, "She's working for the enemy!" Idiots…

Someone, smarter than the rest, must've decided to bring their knife, because I felt someone tug on my hair, and try to take a swipe at me.

It could've been a fatal strike, but instead I turned, kicking out towards them, their grab still on my pony tail, and diverted their stab by setting them off, causing the blade to go upwards, then slip through the side. Straight. Through. My. Hair. Foot, or maybe feet, of it fell, but I really couldn't care about that right now.

My hands now carelessly shoved, everyone attempting to knee or elbow me as I pushed my way through.

"Not a word on my hair. Oh and, Barbie shouldn't you be doing some of your Aphrodite stuff now? It would be some good time for some deception." I gave them both glares.

"Can we get out of this without being at our own teams throat?" Jason pleaded before his girlfriend could reply, he was giving me a serious look, I rolled my eyes.

"What do you want me to do? Shake the earth? That's Percy's thing." I complained. Then I realized I might not have to use my powers. "I suggest you all just step aside, no one wants to get a sapphire in the face do they?" I spoke out to all the people that surround us. I radiated death, a black smoke of it come off of me.

"We have one minute to run until they figure out that you couldn't pelt all of them." Jason whispered.

"Poor things. They really are scared of me." I replied to him, and we bolted to the ladder. My duffle bag bouncing on my back as I moved.

"Everythings fine, you are fine. You're boyfriend cheated on you. A Greek boat is destroying New Rome. Your hair is disastrous. But yeah… Fine. Totally." I began to mutter frustrated words to myself.

"Speaking to yourself is a sign of insanity and deep emotional loneliness." Jason said.

"Oh yeah? And dating two girls without letting one know is a-" I began to rebuke him (which was what we did in the good ol days) when I heard something. A sickening THUNK. Had someone thrown a DAGGER?

Then I knew what had happened as I watched a brick take the course of gravity, and it's hard land on the ground. But before it did, it had hit Jason, below me, right on the back of the head. He dangled unconscious, loosely holding the ladder hold.

Another quick moment of indecision, looking at the cement below.

Hadn't I promised him? Hadn't I promised him to? To always have his back no matter what? Wasn't this one of those times?

Just because he might've left me, doesn't mean I wouldn't be the better person and not leave him.

Oh gods...

As his fingers slipped, I let go. Angling myself and putting my arms around him, as we went for the free fall.

I concentrated. I hadn't done this before. I didn't have time. How did my half brother do it so easily?! He slipped into the shadows as often as business people traveled.

If I had any birthrights like my siblings, I thought to my father. Now is the time to let me show it.

I closed my eyes tight. Why hadn't Nico taught me about shadow travel?! Even if it was for my own good at the time, I still was cursing him for trying to protect me. I was cursing Nico for being gone too, and getting into whatever trouble he was in. I thought this as I put myself between Jason and death.

I couldn't be sure I was doing this right. My ADHD reacted as well as it could to the seconds that flew by, before finally we touched the ground. But we didn't land, we sunk into the shadow, our shadow.

I panicked. What was I doing!? I couldn't do this! There was nothing in sight but darkness. Was I even seeing anything? The shadows seemed to whisper in my ear.

 _You belong with us. Join us._

This terrified me. Didn't I? I was a horrible person who deserved what she got. I raised a giant... I started this mess... I'd almost gotten good people killed! Innocent, good, whole people. Like Jason...

 _Yes. Let the other one go. He will die soon. Come back._

"No" I said. I was a good person too. I'd proven that. "I am alive. Leave me." and we stumbled down through the shadows.

The light hit my eyes, and they flashed open. I was on a dock, I could see someone looking away, with black curly hair and a light brown Latino skin. My heart jumped. Sammy.

Schist. SCHIST!

My life had become a hill, and I keep rolling into probably dangerous problematic things.

The look-alike turned around and grinned, like Gee, isn't this fun?

I couldn't agree.

It was a game,it couldn't be him. The eyes were a faint gold, not a solid color like mine could be, but diluted and wispy.

Never a good sign.

"Not my city, imposter," I growled, twirling my hand, a fat dark ruby color appeared in my palms, I threw it straight above the eyes, he knocked out cold. I had a mean throw.

 **A/N: Kinda had a Mrs. Weasley quote parody at the end there with the 'Not my city, imposter'. This chapter sorta prove a few things for Val. How much she cares for Jason and how loyal she is. How reckless and brave she can be. I mean, sure, she was a little stupid. But she also had faith in herself, even with her severe thanatophobia.**


	5. Valeria and the Passed Out Boys

**A/N: Hey so... It's time to give the request talk. I know people are reading this? But only Ethempat has actually reviewed so... If your out there... Let me know what you think, maybe? Yeah. I mean... I think people like it, but I can't really know. So yeah. Disclaimer: I don't believe that I've somehow changed gender and age...**

I picked up the gems, twirling it around in my fingers till it went POP, then I walked over to Jason.

I felt his forehead, clammy. He was a little feverish, but he would be okay. Slowly, I lifted his head up. I examined the bump, and cringed at how the gash was bleeding. Carefully I carried him to the wall, where I set him up against the wood.

Ripping off a piece of my shirt sleeve, then I reached into my back pocket, grabbing a flask of unicorn draught, and dribbling it on the cloth piece.

I had been thinking, when Piper made it to the top, how ironic it would be, if this great hero, the praetor of Rome, was killed by his own people, by a brick.

"How… How'd you get up here?" She asked. This was the first thing she'd said to me, her voice was more controlled, less breakable, than I thought it would've been, catching me off guard.

"I expect YOU to be the one looking out for him now. I'm not always going to be his personal guardian." I told her, giving her a glare worthy enough to fit in with the ones of my siblings.

We were interrupted before either of us could say more.

A dragon landed on the deck, causing the whole boat to shake a little. From it's long scaly back, Percy and Annabeth slid off, and the creature morphed back into Frank.

"We just assaulted the Romans while trying to mend a famous rivalry that's been going on for centuries. Somebody's going to tell me why." the daughter of Athena seemed to radiate a voice of authority. Her grey eyes were stormy, and her blond hair messy as it hung in a ponytail.

"Whatever made your captain go rouge, is at a temporary standby of a sorts. Besides, we need to get out of here." I said.

"Annabeth can you fly this thing?" Piper asked.

"Not as well as Leo but it's going to have to do. Frank, can you help Percy get Jason downstairs. " Annabeth said, grabbing at the wii controls. The ship jolted, tilting up, she steadied and we began to distances ourselves from the ballistae setting off.

Piper headed downstairs, carrying a limp Leo, probably to whatever medical center they had here.

"Look, I don't think it was that guy's fault." I felt it safe to tell Annabeth.

"What do you mean?" She turned to look at me for a second.

"Well… His eyes… They were this color. I remember it from something, I just don't know what." I said while pursing my lip, frowning.

"To be honest, I agree with you. I don't think he'd do anything like this." She admitted.

"Percy, he told me about you. In fact… When he came to camp, all he could remember was your name. I think that's what kept him going. Finding you." I leaned up against a railing, looking out onto the sky.

"I'm glad someone was looking out for him." her tone spoke earnestly, serious, I was surprised to realize she was talking about me.

"Yeah, of course. Nico told me I should keep an eye on him, and when Nico comes around to tell you to do something… You don't really say no." I said.

"Percy told me about who you were, it's so hard to believe your Nico's sister." Mentally I corrected her, 'Half sister. Bianca will only ever be Nico's sister'.

I couldn't say anything back to her, without it coming out as a snarky comment about what a 'good sister' I was.

"Look, I need you to do me a favor. Everybody is going to be coming up here, since Leo should be up by now. And someone's gotta stay down and look after Jason, and you're the only one I trust to know what to do if something happens. Be it a monster, spiked symptoms or he wakes up." Annabeth sounded honest, and reminded me a lot of my twin already.

"And why do you trust me?" I said, somewhat challenging.

"Because, you would be centurion of your cohort if you weren't so closed off from your fellow legionnaires. That's what Reyna said, and I believe her. You took that fall because there was a possibility you could do something. You're a lot like me." she didn't look at me, but I didn't need to see her expression to know she wasn't making this up. This surprised me.

At this moment they came through the doors, Leo began to plunge into unsatisfactory and pained answers, so I slipped down, finding my way to the door of a sickbay.

It was like a hospital room, but with bright yellow paint, and huge purple flowers with each piece separated for a design. There were two twin beds on two walls opposite with the other, each with white comforters, pillowcases, and blankets and such. Those, other then a tall cabinet, was all that was in the room.

Only one of the mattresses was occupied, and finally I let my eyes rest on Jason, his eye seemed to be shut close, they were so tight, his golden hair sprawled on the pillow.

I sighed, frustrated that all the blankets were on him, he'd be stifling hot. I pulled the comforter off slowly, then sat next to him, hoping not to wake him up. He was so silent, so still. He was cute when he slept.

I began to hum a song he used to whisper in my ear, with these cheesy fairytale words. It was the Disney song, Lavender Blue Dilly Dilly. We'd had laid in the sun, and his voice would be so quiet I would be the only one to hear. A smile come along and laughter would ring, he would hold my hand, and we'd kiss.

I could tell the medicine was working when Jason muttered, "Val?"

I continued to go on with the song till I finished. "Yeah, I'm here."

"I want it to be different… There is so little I wouldn't give to not have gone this way." He said, his voice so soft and quiet.

"Do you really regret, falling in love with her?" I asked, turning to look at him now, looking straight into his blue eyes. He couldn't answer to that.

"I don't mean to ever- I just- Don't know." He said.

"Jason, somnum." I said concerned, I didn't want to keep him up.

He rested his head back down and I could tell he'd fallen straight asleep.

I decided to inconspicuously slipped into what was signed 'The Mess Hall'.

"Leo, don't beat yourself up about it, we've all talked and agreed it wasn't your fault," Annabeth, sitting at the head of the table, said.

"I know, but if Jason-," Leo's eyebrows knit guilty.

"Val!" Frank suddenly stood up, announcing my presence for my sake. I smiled a little and walked over, taking the seat next to him, our chairs close enough so we could hold hands under the table, like we used to do. He knew how badly I needed something that felt familiar, this connection we'd done when either of us felt stressed or scared back at camp (which got us teased, and me called out for cheating on Jason. Which annoyed me. Why can't guys and girls be JUST FRIENDS and hold hands?! Who decided this?).

"So, groups. Not more than 3 people," Annabeth said, bringing the conversation back around.

"I'll go with someone to get the lime and celestial bronze, since the last two are closer together than the tar," Leo said.

"Me and Annabeth can get the tar, who is going with Leo?" Percy asked.

"I'm staying with Jason," Piper demanded, staring me down quite ruthlessly, daring me.

I shook my head in disbelief and rolled my eyes, who did this Greek think she was? I muttered a curse in Latin that Jason would have nicked me deeply for.

"I'm flying Annabeth and Percy," Frank said, giving me a worried look about the swear.

I shrugged indifferently, "I guess I am going with Leo then."

"Good meeting! Everyone knows their jobs, and don't be late for dinner because it's Uncle Leo's famous five alarm tacos!" Leo stood up, throwing his hand on the table. Annabeth and Piper groaned before going off to their respective obligation/boyfriends.

I hugged Frank, "Good Fortuna." I whispered. He squeezed me tighter, and then I followed Leo to the dock.

 **A/N: 1415 words! I haven't written that much for this series in a long time! Whoop whoop!**


	6. More Concerning Questions

**A/N: Hey guys. It's me again. Still no reviews, huh? :( Make my day... please? BTW I totally have a expression matching Percy's sad sea pup eyes right now. It's like your refusing to give him blue cookies. Anyways... Hope you enjoy! Disclaimer: HOLY CRAP! I... Don't own anything. What... You thought I was going to say something else?**

"There's two people you haven't meet yet, if I'm right." Leo said, leaning on his controls. Complicated buttons and other things that would give me a headache.

"There's 9 demigods on this ship?" My eyes went wide at the thought. That would attract WAY too many monsters, and we'd get nowhere.

"Nah, there's our 'chaperone'" He made quotation marks in the air. "He's a satyr, or faun in Roman terms I believe. His name is Coach Hedge… he's uh… interesting. Then there's our aerial and underwater eyes, Festus. He's a metal dragon. Found him the woods. He used to fly… But now… Well, you'll see." He walked up to the front of the dock.

Festus, the happy dragon huh? I thought to myself.

"Hey Festus! How's it going buddy?" Leo shouted down.

That's when I saw this huge masthead. I don't know how I missed it before. A giant bronze dragon face, with glowing red eyes, and these amazing scales. He would've been frightening if he wasn't currently in conversation, talking in creak and cracks to Leo. And if I hadn't lived with oversize eagles for many months.

"He say's we're close. Should be landing in a few minutes." Leo said.

"VALDEZ!" something came charging upstairs. Must've been Coach Hedge.

Holy schist he was a lot shorter then I thought. Maybe barely 5 feet? I was bad with measurement. He wore some horrific clothes I didn't look to long at, and held a baseball bat with a cap to go with it.

I took a moment to realize he had call Leo 'Valdez'. Okay. That was the last clue I needed. This was no longer just a coincidence.

The world could stop sending the hints now, thank you.

Leo looked like Sammy for a reason. They had to be related.

I ignored the observation for now.

"Hey Coach." Leo said, and rolled his eyes.

"Alright, you did a good job, blowing up New Rome and stuff. But did you have to take out the satellite?" The faun, no SATYR, complained, his furry leg bouncing. Did he say good job destroying New Rome?!

"Coach, that's not important right now. I'll fix it later. We're landing right now. You might wanna back up." Leo said sternly, moving away from the edge, I followed him.

"PAH, fears for cupcakes like you." Coach Hedge said, staying right where he was.

Finally, the water of the Great Salt Lake crashed up against the bilge, throwing us backward.

I almost landed on Leo, which would've been more than embarrassing.

I shook it off, felt for the hilt of my spatha coming out of my scabbard. I gave a half hearted smile, "Alright. Let's do this."

Using a ladder hidden under some planks (which would've been a bad idea, if an emergency happened (which would of course happen) they'd be hard to get to, but remember there was the rope ladder hanging off the side already), we pulled it out and set it across the water, onto the ground.

Carefully walking across it, I jumped off the last one, Leo right behind me.

The glistening sand so white with the sun on it, and the wind pulling in, these pulses of heat dragging on the minutes.

"So, this is lime?" The grains slipping through the calloused fingers of my hand.

"Right, calcium oxide." Leo sat on his knees next to me.

"Ah, what are we going to put it in?" I laughed.

That's when he pulled out a big sandwich baggie from his big carpenter belt. "Magic," and he gave that Valdez smile. I pursed my lip, this wasn't going to be easy.

And so in sun we began to dig, filling the bucket.

When we finished, we both had sweat trickling down our neck.

"So… Is it true you're good with metals?" He asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Yeah. It is. Come on, this way." I tried to make it as obvious as possible that it wasn't an open topic, walking towards the instinctive pull I had in my chest.

Being both Val and Ginger, the gem curse was toned down, making it easier. Rarely did I ever have issues with random jewels popping up. It was not like before… In New Orleans...

"I'm sorry. It's just… I'm a firebender I guess you could call it. My dad, Hephaestus, 'gifted' me with it. I uh… Understand how it is to have something against your power." He explained.

For a moment I rested my hand on where the inside jacket pocket would be, where Frank's life line stick was wrapped in linen. Note to self, don't get too close, physically, to the son of Hephaestus.

"Listen. I understand you wanna get chummy with me. But I'm trying to concentrate here. You know, like… think?" I turned around and glared at him slightly.

He held his hand up in surrender. I sighed and turned around.

"Hey, Val, do you think a totally normal person would be shucking chinese cookies in the middle of nowhere Utah?" He said, concern in his voice.

"Leo, what in the name of my godly father are you talking about?" I rolled my eyes, following his gaze.

That's when I found what in the name of my godly father he was talking about. And my stomach turned.

"Uh… I guess we should find out." I said in nervous response.

 **A/N: YEAH! I hear hallelujah singing in the background! I actually finished this chapter! I've written this one before and it's difficult to write. I don't know why but it is!**


	7. Defined and Confusing

**A/N: Sorry it's been a week... I don't really have an excuse... Anyone out there? Reviews? Favorites? Follows? :.( Am I getting desperate you ask? Yes, yes I am. Am I pathetic? Maybe. Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

To answer all your question, no sane person rips apart Chinese fortune cookies in Utah. But I guess you could say Invidia wasn't a sane person.

She was a deity after all. So she wasn't… You know... really a person. (Or she wasn't really sane. Take that either way.)

Now Invidia, or Nemesis, isn't like most of her kind, her form depends on the person you hated most.

Who did she look like to me you ask?

Let's just say, I used to have a teacher (a teacher I don't even remember now) from when I lived in New Orleans. This teacher would've been at least been fired nowadays, or more. Her name was Mrs. Leer, and there was no way she could still be alive. That's, trainees, is how I knew it was Nemesis.

It was a kind of anger, boiled with hatred, that gave you that feeling like you just wanted to strangle them for a second, or just break something.

Also, Mrs. Leer would not own a motorcycle, especially ones with weird shaped wheels.

"Aunt Rosa?" Leo asked to no one in particular. Of course. Aunt Rosa was the someone that'd wronged or upset him once upon a time.

"Nemesis." I corrected. "Goddess of Revenge. She takes the appearance of her beholder's most hated."

"I bet that makes her popular." Leo said, barely giving his sarcasm away.

"Come on. Let's go have some fun meeting a patron of balance." I said, walking towards the piles and pac man bike.

"You make her sound so innocent…" He mumbled.

"Never accuse a god. Especially one like her. You have no idea what happens." I turned around and looked him in the eyes, then I changed my focus to in front of me again. That had been the first time I could really see that his eyes were really like Sammy's.

"Do you have something against me for some reason?" Leo asked, trying to catch up with me.

"Why would I? I just meet you." I pointed out, I quickly showed him a open hearted (fake) smile to convince him.

How could I explain to him? He'd think I'm insane… And, reader, I am many things, but I am not insane. At least I don't think so.

But maybe, with what happened in New Rome, maybe HE was.

"You know, for a Roman, you are quite… Hmm… Ah, yes. KIND." This time the sarcasm wasn't even attempted.

"Very amusing Leo, could you please shut up." I rolled my eyes, sighing. Did he have no sense that now, approaching a goddess that could kill us, was not a good time to be funny?

When I came up, a few yards away, I tried to grab the deities attention away from wiping her fingers across slips from inside the cookies. "Um excuse me." I cleared my throat. The traditional approach.

"Stupid… 'Your happiness depends on you.' That's not even a prediction! Has to be that excuse of a goddess, Tyche!" She, said, moving her fingers across the ink, as if she was smudging it. "'You shall find yourself at a crossing and fail to make a satisfying decision.' Better." Somehow managing to seal it back together she threw it into a pile.

"Is there any reason you enjoy messing with people's heads? Also… Isn't it Fortuna?" I had to ask, okay?

"You are from Camp Jupiter? Greek and Roman together… If Hera hadn't been so bold…" The goddess looked at me, her eyes changing to a coal black from their wispy blue, narrowing, her skin darkening, her hair curled and went from straight and white to curl and dark. It was her true form I was guessing, or at least as close as it was without me and Leo becoming teeny tiny grains of ash. Watching itt was like one of those 'You'll see the change instantly!' things in infomercials, but more literal.

"Wait… Hera? She's supposed to be our patron isn't she?" Leo asked, scrunching his eyebrows.

"You shouldn't expect help from your patron any longer Leo Valdez. Which is why I want to offer you something." Nemesis said, still examining us.

"Nemesis… There is no such thing as free food." _Especially with you._

"And why can't Juno help us?" Leo added.

"Hera, like all the others, will be suffering between their two sides. Won't she? Two personalities, fighting for control." I said, not entirely sure if I was saying the truth.

"All gods, except the few strictly Roman or Greek are under distress. Revenge and balance is the same, Greek AND Roman. Valeria, you've made choices like this before, will you take the risk?" Nemesis held her hand out, with a fortune cookie in her palm.

I wasn't dumb. "I've made too many bad decision in my lifetime." _Usually with deities like yourself..._ "I think I can handle myself."

"I'm not saying I'm going to take it, but I'd rather have the opportunity of making it." Leo said as he took the cookie, putting it in his pocket.

"An eye for an eye, Leo Valdez. The cursed boy get's very angry at night. Find him before then, and you may have more of a chance."


	8. Never Run With Bronze Sheets

**A/N: Hey, sorry it took me so long. I've been working on other stuff. If people could review or follow, that would really really make my day a lot brighter. Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

"Is there like some rule in mythology that strictly states 'No information that makes sense until it is useless can be given' or is it just me?" I said, now following the gut instinct and tug that I was cursed with.

"I know the feeling. Sometimes it feels like our allies they're TRYING to stop us from winning." Leo said while twirling around his screwdriver around in his fingers.

"Right. Well. Apparently, it's right where are those nymphs are." I said, pointing to a strange congregation of various elven looking teenage girls.

"That can't be good. Let's go." He spoke with mock enthusiasm.

"Great idea." I muttered under my breath as I rushed off to impending doom. Nope, nothing new about that.

Behind me, a exuberant voice agreed, "Great idea!"

I turned around quickly, after, admittedly, jumping, "Who are you?"

"Who are you?" The invisible person (most likely a girl by her voice), replied with a somewhat annoyed tone.

"Valeria Arellano. Uh… Nice to meet you." I bit my lip, Leo just looked with wide eyes.

"Nice to meet you." It replied.

"Who are you?" I repeated.

"Who are you…" The voice said, this time very bored and over it, like this happened a lot (which is strange cause we all do).

"I just said that… I told you who I am. You repeat everything I say. Like an echo." I complained.

"Echo." It replied.

"Echo? Wait… Echo… From the myths?" I asked. _DUH!_ I thought to myself. _Why else is there something invisible repeating everything I say?_

"Echo from the myths." She replied, I could tell she was nodding. I could maybe see a shimmer, a ghost like outline of her, but no solid shape.

Leo was about to open his mouth, a smirk on his face, when I stopped him. "No. Don't mess with her."

"Don't mess." Echo agreed. Leo held up his hands in surrender.

"We need to find that celestial bronze…" I said to myself.

"Find that celestial bronze." She said sternly.

"Off we go then." Leo said, which Echo of course repeated.

Reaching the congruency of nature loving girls I noticed they were all wearing merch. Like One Direction merch, except it was about this guy called 'Narcissus'. (That took awhile to figure out with my dyslexia. But when I connected the dots that Echo had to be here because of her old one sided love with 'world's handsomest'.)

I proceeded to shove my way through their group (with many complaints and shoving back) till I got in front of all of them.

There it was, by the river, the sheet of celestial bronze glistened, but our issue was gazing right at it, with his incredibly hot dazzling face and his all amazing hair and his perfect green eyes… Oh wait… Am I being sarcastic? Totally. I'd dated Jason Grace, I guess this gives me a kind of immunity.

I swear that I'm being honest when I say all he did was brush his hair back, and the nymphs went ballistic. Shrieking, squealing and jumping up in down.

"Oh my GODS! He's like so hot. I can't even!" One nymph wearing a We Love His Love For Himself. Or the WELFH Appreciation Group.

"I vined him looking at himself. And it got like, more than a million loops." Another fanned herself. "Marry me Naricuss!"

I rubbed my hands on my eyes and groaned. _Girls…_

"Alright. Here's the deal. I need you to give me fake tattoos." Leo said behind me.

"Uh… Excuse me?" I turned around and looked at him.

He whispered the idea while I thought _'Why did stupid plans always have to be the ONLY plans?'_

A few black marker drawings later and Leo was pumping his nonexistent 'guns'.

"You know, ladies, Narcissus died looking at himself not from starvation but from his stupid UGLINESS. He just got paralyzed and his heart stopped… Right there." Leo said. One or two nymphs chuckled but it didn't get Narcissus's attention.

"Yeah, my dad actually had to kick him out of the Underworld because he scared everyone with his face. The souls SCREAMED when he landed." I exclaimed, nodding my head sadly, putting my hand on my hips. This cause more laughter to erupt.

As planned me and Leo said in harmony, "They claimed him ugliest person to ever die." I whipped my newly cut hair.

"Excuse me, I do think your mistaken. Surely they thought I was too beautiful for death." Narcissus spoke still staring into his reflection.

I looked at him like a child, shaking my head back and forth in pity, I know he could see me in the corner of his emerald eyes.

Leo continued to offend him with random insults that were most likely the opposite of truth. Now I was grateful for his totally believable masking tone. Echo helped him out by repeating what he said, pretending to be one in the fan crowd.

I began to slowly back away, focusing on the tug I felt from the celestial bronze sheet. _Deep breaths Valeria._

Finally I made a final pull, and it came shooting after me.

The only thing I had in my mind was Oh schist! As I ran for it, crazed fangirls chasing after me and Leo.

I saw Leo a while back, talking to a Echo, a mere shimmering figure.

I whistled loudly as I possibly could. I wasn't sure if Arion was near, or could even hear me, but I had to try. Then I looked behind me again, "C'mon, hurry up!"

He raced towards to me, as the wind blew quickly past. Arion appeared, without giving me time to notice him coming, and stopped right in front of me. Quickly throwing my legs over onto him, leaning on his neck.

I pulled Leo up, and Arion raced off, no sound, just the blowing breeze whipping on us. I never want to deal with fangirls again…


End file.
